Why Smart Technology Is Smarter

Physiological research studies require a great deal of focused expertise, including an ability to properly set up all necessary equipment for the study at hand. This has long consisted of overseeing a host of manual hardware connections and software settings, and mistakes can be frustrating. The good news is most users become proficient at these detailed configurations, but wouldn’t it be a welcome change if these setups were easier? Think about how helpful it would be if the hardware and software were “smarter” and actively worked on your behalf. This is now a reality with the smart technology offered by BIOPAC’s newly-released line of 100D Smart Amplifiers.

What is smart technology and what makes Smart Amplifiers smarter? To begin with, these amplifiers are significantly smaller than standard amplifiers (only 4.6 mm in length) and have no buttons or switches. The convenient lightweight design is a powerful benefit, enabling these amplifiers to be attached closer to the participant’s body. Because the amp itself is positioned near the signal source(via a lightweight 3-meter cable), the resulting data is of superbly high quality, with less noise and artifact than conventional amplifiers. But let’s get to the smart part. The smart technology in Smart Amplifiers enables them to do the setup work for you. Each Smart Amplifier, regardless of signal type, self-configures to the optimally recommended settings, negating the need for user-defined adjustments or monitoring of physical switch positions. Simply plug the amplifier into the new AMI100D Input Module now included with every BIOPAC MP160 System, launch the AcqKnowledge software, and begin recording data.

To minimize setup time and errors in the lab, Smart Amplifiers utilize auto-detection and auto-identification technology. Not only do they self-configure, they also alert you (via a software dialog) whether the amplifier is connected to the correct channel. So basically, using Smart Amplifiers right out of the box is a three step process. 1) connect the amplifiers, 2) select any desired calculation channels for derived signals, 3) click Record. That’s it.

Frequently-used calculation channels or transformations are pre-configured for all signals and can be enabled by simply checking a box in the amplifier’s software UI. (For example, the ECG100D Smart Amplifier offers options to add heart rate and/or R-R interval, and will automatically place these derived signals in a separate calculation channel in the AcqKnowledge graph.)

BIOPAC offers a wide array of wired and wireless equipment that can be used in your research. To find more information on solutions for recording and analyzing signals such as ECG, heart rate, respiration and more using any platforms mentioned in this blog post, you can visit the individual application pages on the BIOPAC website.